Proppant transport efficiency system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10914144-B2
Application number	US-201816483082-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2018
Priority date	Feb 3, 2017
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

A perforating gun system with at least one gun. Each of the perforating guns have charges disposed in a gun carrier that are angled to the longitudinal axis of the gun to achieve a predetermined proppant transport profile into clusters within a stage in a well casing. The perforation tunnels may also have burrs on each side of the casing and acts in initially aiding proppant transport during fracture treatment. A method of tuning a cluster to achieve a desired fracturing treatment based on a feedback from another cluster includes selecting a hole diameter, a hole angle for creating an angled opening, a discharge coefficient, and a proppant efficiency. Moreover, a method of improving perforation charge efficiency.

First claim

We claim:

1. A perforating gun comprising:
a gun carrier;
a plurality of perforating charges housed within the gun carrier;
wherein the plurality of perforating charges in the gun carrier are arranged to form a first cluster and a second cluster when discharged in a stage of a well casing; and
wherein when deployed downhole, at least some of the plurality of charges are angled toe-ward to create a plurality of perforation tunnels to achieve a predetermined proppant transport profile in the stage,
wherein each of the plurality of perforation tunnels comprises an entrance hole configured with burrs, and
wherein the burrs further enable transport of a proppant fraction through the perforation tunnels.

2. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein at least some of the plurality of perforating charges are reactive shaped charges.

3. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein the predetermined proppant transport profile comprises an even proppant distribution amongst each of a plurality of clusters.

4. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein the plurality of charges are phased equally around a longitudinal axis of the plurality of perforating guns.

5. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein the plurality of charges are positioned such that spacing between two adjacent said plurality of charges is equal.

6. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of perforation tunnels have an entrance hole diameter within 20% of a target entrance hole diameter.

7. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the well casing of each of the plurality of perforating tunnels ranges from 5° to 90°.

8. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the well casing of each of the plurality of tunnels is equal.

9. A perforating gun system comprising:
a plurality of perforating guns comprising a gun carrier, and a plurality of perforating charges housed within the gun carrier;
wherein the plurality of perforating charges in the gun system are arranged to form at least a first cluster and a second cluster when discharged in a stage of a well casing;
wherein when deployed downhole, at least some of the plurality of perforating charges are angled toe-ward to create a plurality of perforation tunnels to achieve a predetermined proppant transport profile in the stage;
wherein each of the plurality of perforation tunnels comprises an entrance hole configured with burrs; and
wherein the burrs further enable transport of a proppant fraction through the perforation tunnels.

10. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of perforating charges are reactive shaped charges.

11. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein the predetermined proppant transport profile comprises an even proppant distribution amongst each of a plurality of clusters.

12. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of charges are phased equally around a longitudinal axis of the plurality of perforating guns.

13. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of charges are positioned such that spacing between two adjacent said plurality of charges is equal.

14. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of perforation tunnels have an entrance hole diameter within 20% of a target entrance hole diameter.

15. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the well casing of each of the plurality of perforating tunnels ranges from 5° to 90°.

16. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the well casing of each of the plurality of tunnels is equal.

17. A perforating method comprising:
providing a perforating gun system comprising one or more perforating guns in a gun string, each gun comprising a gun carrier and a plurality of perforating charges housed within the gun carrier;
selecting an arrangement for each perforation charge, wherein at least some of the plurality of perforating charges are angled toe-ward;
deploying the perforating gun system into the well casing in a stage; and
perforating at the stage and creating at least a first cluster and a second cluster, wherein each cluster comprises a plurality of perforation tunnels, wherein each of the plurality of tunnels are oriented in a predetermined arrangement,
wherein each of the plurality of perforation tunnels comprises an entrance hole configured with burrs, and
wherein the burrs further enable transport of a proppant fraction through the perforation tunnels.

18. The perforating method of claim 17 wherein each of a plurality of angles of each of the plurality of perforation tunnels relative to the longitudinal axis of the casing ranges from 5° to 90°.

19. The perforating method of claim 17 wherein each of the plurality of perforation tunnels have an entrance hole diameter within 20% of a target entrance hole diameter.

Assignees

• Geodynamics Inc

Inventors

• Hardesty John T
• Yang Wenbo
• Rollins James A
• Wutherich Kevin
• Harvey Ross

Classifications

• E21B43/119

  Details, e.g. for locating perforating place or direction · CPC title

• F42B12/76

  of the casing · CPC title

• E21B43/267

  reinforcing fractures by propping · CPC title

• E21B43/117 Primary

  Shaped-charge perforators (E21B43/118 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B43/116 Primary

  Gun or shaped-charge perforators · CPC title